BGSU students decorate for fine dining

SANDUSKY — If your favorite movie characters are coming to dinner, how would you prepare for their presence? With that question in mind, Bowling Green State University students attending the downtown Sandusky campus — its resort and attraction management school — put their creativity to the test during a tablescapes competition. The challenge: Students, in groups of three, must have place settings for two or four guests with a specific theme but had no budget for supplies to decorate their table. The menu needed to match the table's settings and theme, and each place setting required a place card for each invited guest. This project prepares students for possible careers in catering and event planning, professor Mary Wisnom said. "There's an art to tablescapes," she said. Tablescape themes included Mardi Gras, Harry Potter, Christmas and Clue the board game, among others. The Harry Potter table, for instance, was set for characters Dolores Umbridge, Gilderoy Lockhart, Alastor Moody and Remus Lupin, with wands at each place setting. Their three-course meal consisted of a "gilly weed" salad to start with entree items named after various terms from the movie series. The meal ended with "cauldron cakes," or chocolate lava cake, for dessert. Local business professionals, like Hotel Kilbourne co-owner Nikki Lloyd, judged each project. Lloyd said she loved seeing what students came up with for their projects. "They've done a phenomenal job," she said. Lloyd and other business professionals were judging to see, for example, if the centerpiece was proportional to the table, whether the flatware matched the menu and was placed correctly, students' creativity and effort put into their tablescapes and more. Scott Smathers and Stephanie Dunnavant of Cedar Point's catering and event planning departments were pleased with students' work. "You have to know your clients," Smathers said. "The fact that they took these items from home and Goodwill (for decorating) is impressive." 2022 competition results Best in Show - Phantom of the Opera theme • Lyndsey Stanley • Christina Billings • Parker Mitchell Most Unique Award - Boho Pride theme • Evan Dunlap • Kyle Adomaitis • Kristen Blyler Zak Hinman Most Creative Award - Clue (board game) theme • Hunter Dail • John Missal • Spencer Parker Honorable Mention - Oceanside Brunch theme • Cooper Richter • Matt Rupp • Bradford Olson Honorable Mention - Casino theme • Trenton Gerken • Abigail Srail • Brittany Patton Best from the Best (an award given by the winners from the 2021 event) – Fiesta theme • Justin Langosch • Alexandrea Rose • Alyssa Hefner Judges • Scott Smathers, area manager, associate dining and catered events at Cedar Point • Amanda Smith Rasnick, destination development director, Lake Erie Shores and Islands • Greta Colvin, event coordinator, Sandusky Yacht Club • Nikki Lloyd, co-owner, Hotel Kilbourne in Sandusky • Stephanie Dunnavant, manager, catering and special events at Cedar Point • Angela Fiordilino, 2021 Tablescapes Best in Show winner • Giovanni Puma, 2021 Tablescapes Best in Show winner • Joe Prentice, 2021 Tablescapes Best in Show winner Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood